A toddler could be taken out of Sussex to live in Albania after being abandoned by her mother.

A court is set to make a ruling over the future of the two year old girl who was born in Brighton and is under the care of West sussex County Council.

The girl’s Albanian mother, who is in her 20s was six months pregnant when she arrived in Britain. She was refused asylum, and had an appeal turned down, before leaving her daughter with an acquaintance and vanishing.

Details of the case emerged in a written ruling following a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

Judge Mrs Justice Theis ruled that having spent her “entire life” in Britain the decision on the child’s future should be made by an English court.

She said "active consideration" was being given to the possibility of the little girl being placed with relatives in Albania - and said family members in Albania were being assessed by social workers.